When to fertilize grass lawn in spring (Austin: home builders, to buy)

[texan2yankee]

I know this is a boring question, but we are fairly new to Austin home ownership and don't want to fertilize too early or too late. We have mostly St Augustine with a little Bermuda thrown in. The Bermuda is already growing rapidly, but the St. Augustine is just barely green.

When do you fertilize your lawn in the spring?


Thanks!

[10scoachrick]

As long as you aren't trying to get something new to grow, I'd go the Corn Gluten Meal route...you'll get long acting fertilization and well as some new weed prevention(a fall application is most effective) without the concerns of 'burning' your lawn. Don't expect immediate results...usually anything that does produce immediate results will usually do so at the peril of other plants/organisms/the environment/pets, etc(cough...weed and feed...cough).

Edit: Check with your Natural Gardener/Red Barn type folks to get the local skinny on Corn Meal Gluten(don't buy the 'feed' at the Feed Store)


From the Natural Gardener page:
t’s time to fertilize your lawn. Central Texas lawns need to be fed twice a year (in spring and fall) and the best fertilizer to use is Lady Bug 8-2-4. We make Lady Bug 8-2-4 ourselves but that’s not why we claim it’s the best: it was independently tested and proved superior to other fertilizers. If someone ever tries to tell you that you’ll sacrifice results by going organic, tell them about the “Stillhouse Study." The Stillhouse Study was conducted by Texas A&M University and the City of Austin, and they compared effectiveness and environmental effects of fertilizers. Our very own Lady Bug 8-2-4 All-Purpose Fertilizer outperformed all others in the study, including some well-known national brand synthetics. Lady Bug 8-2-4 is 100% organic and it produced greener grass, healthier root systems, and it didn’t pollute run-off water. (Synthetic fertilizers are a major source of water pollution--- another good reason to go organic!)

https://www.naturalgardeneraustin.co...-in-march.html

[FalconheadWest]

We usually fertilize in February, before the grass goes undormant. It helps kill weeds that are thinking of growing.

[Austin97]

natural gardener site has tips of things to do each month

[10scoachrick]

Originally Posted by Austin97

natural gardener site has tips of things to do each month

Er...that would be the link two posts up.

[texan2yankee]

Thank you and reps to all who responded.

[COCUE]

OP - thanks for asking this question. I didn't even know this. Will tell DH to make his way to Red Barn and get some fertilizer the weekend. You learn something everyday

[Glenn Ross]

I'm a big fan of Natural Gardener and I will be going there this week to buy some things. But I don't believe that corn gluten is the best to use as either a fertilizer or weed pre-emergent. I used it for several years with zero results as far as weeds go. I understand there is additional information out there on the web that supports this. I suggest doing your own research. (In any case, I think you've missed the window for putting out gluten.)

As for fertilizing, I have St. Augustine grass. I have not fertilized in at least five years other than using a mulching lawn mower to put my grass clippings back in the yard. And my yard looks no different than my neighbor who uses Scotts fertilizer. I keep it watered on a weekly basis.

[hound 109]

"St. Augustine.....I keep it watered on a weekly basis."

Oh man....Fingernails on the blackboard.

I thought watering non-native grass / big *ss lawns west of I 35 went out with 8 track tapes, shingle roofs and Flip phones??

Here's a nice (& smart) back yard with a patch of grass big enough for poochie to do his thing and small enough to water once a week with a Big Gulp Cup.



Developers/Home Builders who put St. Augustine lawns on new home lots (in Central Texas) should be shot at dawn. Their neighbors should graffiti the open house models and storm the corporate offices with pitchforks.

[FalconheadWest]

The picture is not realistic for families with kids who want to kick a soccer ball, hit a baseball, or throw a football... That's a backyard for people with older kids or empty nesters.